Horizontal supporter for scaffolds

ABSTRACT

A horizontal supporter for scaffolds is disclosed. The horizontal supporter is configured such that, when a pressing piece is moved upward in order to unlock a locking piece, the pressing piece and the locking piece are caught by each other due to engagement between a catching recess and a latching projection, whereby the pressing piece remains moved upward, wherein, even when the elasticity of an elastic body is reduced due to repetitive use of the horizontal supporter or even when a gap is formed between the related parts due to wear of the related parts, it is possible to prevent the pressing piece from moving downward due to the weight of the pressing piece, whereby it is possible to eliminate trouble in use and to reduce financial loss due to a reduction in the lifespan of the horizontal supporter.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a), this application claims the benefit of earlier filing date and right of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0003169, filed on Jan. 10, 2018, the contents of which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a horizontal supporter for scaffolds, and more particularly to a horizontal supporter for scaffolds that is capable of continuously functioning properly even after being used for a long period of time.

Description of the Related Art

In general, a scaffold installed to allow workers to access buildings during the construction of various kinds of buildings or during the maintenance of previously constructed buildings includes several standardized parts that can be disassembled and reassembled, such as a vertical supporter having connection pins formed at multiple stages, a horizontal supporter configured to be coupled and fixed between the connection pins of the vertical supporter by catching members provided at opposite ends of a pipe, and a stool fixedly installed on the horizontal supporter. In addition, the horizontal supporter has a locking function, by which the horizontal supporter is prevented from being separated from the vertical supporter after being coupled to the vertical supporter, whereby the safety of the scaffold is achieved.

Such a horizontal supporter for scaffolds having a locking function is disclosed in Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1398638. As shown in FIG. 1, the horizontal supporter for scaffolds is configured such that a pressing piece 106 and a locking piece 108, disposed in a catching member 100 in the state in which an inclined surface 102 of the pressing piece 106 and an inclined surface 104 of the locking piece 108 are merely in contact with each other, remain unlocked due to the elasticity of an elastic body 110 and such that, when the catching member 100 is coupled into a connection hole 116 formed in a connection piece 114 of a vertical supporter 112 and the pressing piece 106 is then forcibly moved downward in order to use the horizontal supporter, a locking part 118 of the locking piece 108 protrudes from the catching member 100 due to the inclined surfaces 102 and 104, whereby the locking part 118 is caught by the connection piece 114. As a result, the horizontal supporter is locked.

According to the disclosure of Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1398638, the horizontal supporter for scaffolds functions properly during early use of the horizontal supporter. However, when the elasticity of the elastic body 110 is reduced due to repetitive use of the horizontal supporter or when a gap is formed between related parts due to wear of the related parts, the pressing piece 106, which is merely in contact with the locking piece 108 through the inclined surfaces 102 and 104 for locking, moves downward due to the weight thereof, as shown in FIG. 2, whereby the pressing piece 106 enters a locked state, which is undesirable. Whenever the horizontal supporter for scaffolds is used, therefore, the pressing piece 106 disposed in each of the left and right catching members 100 must be moved upward such that the locking piece 108 is in an unlocked state, and then the catching members 100 must be coupled into the connection hole 116 formed in the connection piece 114 of the vertical supporter 112, which is very troublesome and takes a lot of time. Furthermore, when the pressing piece 106 malfunctions, the pressing piece 106 is discarded without being re-cycled, which leads to financial loss due to a reduction in the lifespan of the horizontal supporter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a horizontal supporter for scaffolds that is capable of preventing a pressing piece from moving downward due to the weight of the pressing piece even when the elasticity of an elastic body is reduced during the use of the horizontal supporter or even when a gap is formed between related parts due to wear of the related parts.

In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a horizontal supporter for scaffolds configured such that, when a pressing piece is moved upward in order to unlock a locking piece, the pressing piece and the locking piece are deeply caught by each other due to engagement between a catching recess and a latching projection, whereby the pressing piece remains moved upward, wherein, even when the elasticity of an elastic body is reduced due to repetitive use of the horizontal supporter or even when a gap is formed between related parts due to wear of the related parts, it is possible to prevent the pressing piece from moving downward due to the weight of the pressing piece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional horizontal supporter for scaffolds;

FIG. 2 is a sectional views showing the malfunction of the conventional horizontal supporter for scaffolds;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a principal part of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the principal part of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the principal part of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention before the horizontal supporter is coupled to a vertical supporter;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the principal part of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention when the horizontal supporter is coupled to the vertical supporter;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the principal part of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention when the horizontal supporter is locked after the horizontal supporter is coupled to the vertical supporter; and

FIG. 9 is a front view showing the state in which the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention is used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. A detailed description of known technologies or functions incorporated herein will be omitted when the same may make the subject matter of the invention rather unclear.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a principal part of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the principal part of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention.

The horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention, denoted by reference numeral 10, is configured such that catching members 14 are formed at opposite ends of a pipe 12 having a predetermined length by welding so as to protrude downward and such that a pressing piece 16, a locking piece 18, and an elastic body 20 are coupled into each of the left and right catching members 14.

The pipe 12 is provided in the opposite ends thereof with coupling recesses 22, into which the catching members 14 are coupled. After the catching members 14 are coupled into the respective coupling recesses 22, the catching members 14 are fixed to the respective coupling recesses 22 by welding.

Each of the catching members 14 is configured such that an insertion part 30 having therein a second operation chamber 28 protrudes from one side of the upper part of a catching part 26 having a first operation chamber 24 formed therethrough in the vertical direction, wherein the second operation chamber 28 is configured to communicate with the first operation chamber 24. The insertion part 30 is inserted into the pipe 12, and the upper part of the catching part 26 is coupled into a corresponding one of the coupling recesses 22 formed in the pipe 12. In this state, the insertion part 30 and the upper part of the catching part 26 are fixed to the pipe 12 by welding.

The pressing piece 16 is configured such that a deep catching recess 32 is formed in the central part of one side of a main body, which is long in the vertical direction, and such that an inclined surface 34, which is inclined downward toward the other side of the main body, is formed under the catching recess 32. The pressing piece 16 is coupled into the first operation chamber 24 of a corresponding one of the catching members 14 so as to be slidable upward and downward along the first operation chamber 24.

The locking piece 18 is configured such that a main body 42 is provided at the lower part of one side thereof with a catching protrusion 36 and is provided at the upper part and the lower part of the other side thereof with a latching projection 38 and a first inclined surface 40, which is inclined downward toward the other side thereof, and such that a locking part 46 having a second inclined surface 44 extends downward from the main body 42 in the state in which a step is formed between the first inclined surface 40 and the second inclined surface 44. Before the coupling of the pressing piece into the second operation chamber 28 formed in a corresponding one of the catching members 14, the main body 42 of the locking piece 18 is coupled into the second operation chamber 28.

The elastic body 20 is made of a material that exhibits elasticity and restoring force, such as urethane foam. Before the coupling of the locking piece 18 into the second operation chamber 28 formed in a corresponding one of the catching members 14, the elastic body 20 is coupled into the second operation chamber 28 in order to elastically support the locking piece 18 in the direction opposite the locking direction, i.e. toward the pressing piece 16, after the locking piece 18 is coupled into the second operation chamber 28.

When the pressing piece 16 is moved upward, as shown in FIG. 6, the latching projection 38 of the locking piece 18 is deeply coupled into the catching recess 32 formed in the pressing piece 16 due to the elasticity of the elastic body 20. In addition, the inclined surface 34 of the pressing piece 16 is brought into tight contact with the first inclined surface of the locking piece 18, whereby the pressing piece 16 enters an unlocked state, in which the pressing piece 16 remains moved upward.

When each of the left and right catching members 14 is coupled into a connection hole 52 formed in a connection piece 50 of a vertical supporter 48, as shown in FIG. 7, in the unlocked state of the pressing piece 16, in which the pressing piece 16 remains moved upward, and the pressing piece 16 is then forcibly moved downward, as shown in FIG. 8, the latching projection 38 of the locking piece 18 is separated from the catching recess 32 formed in the pressing piece 16. In addition, the inclined surface 34 of the pressing piece 16 comes into contact with the second inclined surface 44 of the locking piece 18, whereby the locking part 46 protrudes from the catching member 14 in one direction. As a result, the catching member 14 is caught by the connection piece 50 of the vertical supporter 48, whereby the pressing piece 16 enters a locked state. Consequently, the locking function of the horizontal supporter 10 for scaffolds is fulfilled.

Even when the elasticity of the elastic body 20 is reduced due to long-term use of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention or even when a gap is formed between related parts for locking due to wear of the related parts for locking, the pressing piece 16 and the locking piece 18 are deeply caught by each other due to engagement between the catching recess 32 and the latching projection 38 in the unlocked state of the pressing piece 16, resulting from the upward movement of the pressing piece 16, as shown in FIG. 6, whereby the pressing piece 16 remains moved upward. As a result, the pressing piece 16 will not move downward as long as no force is applied to the pressing piece 16 in the unlocked state of the pressing piece 16. Consequently, it is possible to eliminate trouble in use due to malfunction of the pressing piece 16 whenever the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention is used and to reduce financial loss due to a reduction in the lifespan of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention.

As is apparent from the above description, the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention has an effect in that, even when the elasticity of the elastic body is reduced due to repeated use of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds or even when a gap is formed between the related parts due to wear of the related parts, it is possible to prevent the pressing piece from moving downward due to the weight of the pressing piece in the unlocked state of the pressing piece, whereby it is possible to eliminate trouble in use due to malfunction of the pressing piece whenever the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention is used and to reduce financial loss due to a reduction in the lifespan of the horizontal supporter for scaffolds according to the present invention.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A horizontal supporter for scaffolds configured to have a structure in which catching members are provided at opposite ends of a pipe and in which a pressing piece, a locking piece, and an elastic body are coupled into each of the catching members such that, when the pressing piece is forcibly moved downward, a locking part of the locking piece protrudes from a corresponding one of the catching members along an inclined surface of the pressing piece, whereby locking between the horizontal supporter and a vertical supporter is achieved, wherein the pressing piece and the locking piece are caught by each other due to engagement between a catching recess and a latching projection when the pressing piece is moved upward, whereby the pressing piece remains moved upward. 